By Margaret Maccoll
Sunny Rose Monie is just as her name suggests a beautiful, happy and sunny girl who was born in 2008 with a chromosome translocation, a type of abnormal change in the structure of a chromosome that occurs when a part of one chromosome breaks off and sticks to another chromosome.
Sunny’s type of chromosome translocation is so unique her mother Karina Rune said they have yet to find another person in the world with exactly the same condition.
The effect of it means Sunny cannot talk or walk, has both hearing and vision impairment and uncontrolled epilepsy with almost daily seizures which often occur in the early hours of the morning when everyone is asleep.
Sunny has been approved to have a Smart Pup, a dog trained to recognise Sunny’s seizures and seek help as well as providing friendship and companionship for Sunny who loves dogs.
Karina believes the Smart Pup will be “life saving” for Sunny.
“She is non-verbal. The dog can detect her seizures, be with her,” she said. “Dogs can sense she is someone who needs to be looked after.”
The single mother of three is throwing herself into fundraising over the next 12 months in order to meet the $20,000 amount needed to train and place a Smart Pup dog.
She will be participating in the Mooloolaba Triathlon this weekend and the Noosa Tri later in the year.
While Karina has found it difficult to fit in training she is determined to complete the event to help her daughter.
Karina said Sunny was well known to the community with clubs such as Rotary and Lions having helped make life easier for the family over the years through the provision of equipment.
Sunny’s story of survival is miraculous. Having spent three years in palliative care when very young Sunny beat the odds and is now thriving, attending school and going to the beach on weekends with her mum and little brother who attended nippers until it finished last week for the season.To help raise money for a Smart Pup for Sunny donations can be made to the organisation, a not-for-profit and tax deductible recipient.
You can donate via the Smart Pups Westpac account BSB: 034198 Account: 415185 Transaction Reference: Sunny Rose Monie or donate at www.smartpups.org.au. and reference Sunny in the ‘In honor of’ box.
